SC closes contempt case against Lalit Modi after unconditional apology
In his affidavit, Lalit Modi assured the court that he will not do anything which is inconsistent with the “dignity and majesty” of this court or the Indian judiciary in any manner
The Supreme Court on Monday closed the contempt proceedings against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi for making contemptuous remarks against the Indian judiciary after he tendered an unconditional apology.
The apex court closed the contempt proceedings against him with a stern warning that any such attempt in future to even remotely tarnish the reputation of Indian judiciary will invite serious repercussions.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi who appeared for Modi told the court that the order was complied with not with an intention to escape contempt action but with a genuine intention to offer an unconditional and sincere apology and an undertaking that such acts will not be repeated in future.
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A bench of justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar said, “We close the contempt proceedings by showing grace... We accept the unconditional apology with a broad heart because this court always believes in forgiveness, more particularly when the apology is unconditional and tendered from the bottom of heart.”
The court put Modi on guard in the future by saying, “The respondent (Modi) may desist from indulging in such activities in future. Any such attempt on his part in future that will tantamount to remotely tarnishing the reputation of Indian judiciary or the courts will have serious repercussions.”
Singhvi told the court that had his client been in India, he would have personally met and conveyed to him the court’s request to take care in future. Although Singhvi said that these were sudden outbursts, he added that the objectionable post and tweet were deleted immediately even before the court was apprised of the same.
In his affidavit, he assured the court that he will not do anything which is inconsistent with the “dignity and majesty” of this court or the Indian judiciary in any manner.
He also produced the apology published in leading newspapers having wide circulation in Mumbai, Delhi Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru editions.
The contempt petition against Modi was filed by senior advocate Chander Uday Singh who took objection to the comments made by the former IPL commissioner, currently staying in London.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar who appeared for Singh submitted that as penance, the court should direct Modi to contribute to the legal aid fund. However, the bench did not accept the suggestion.
The former IPL chairman had earned the ire of the court over his January 13 social media post where he made allegations of fixing in judiciary and followed it up with a tweet on March 30 further harming the reputation of the judiciary.
On April 13, the top court had asked him to offer unconditional apology and even publish it in all leading newspapers across major cities along with a public apology on his social media platforms where the objectionable message was published.
